Video: Mattituck Incumbents Make Their Pitches for School Board

Members of the community got to meet all four school board candidates running for three seats on the in the only contested race for 2011-12 this past Wednesday night. Newcomers Joan Ferris and Laura Jens-Smith made their to North Fork Patch last week. Here are pitches from long-time incumbents Charles Anderson and Jerry Diffley.

Charles Anderson, Mattituck

Incumbent board member Charles Anderson said that his goal if he is re-elected is to perfect the balancing act he always had tried for during his time on the school board: To see that the students get the best out of the school and to make sure that the taxpayers are heard.

“It’s very, very difficult to make these decisions, but we learn something every day at these board meetings,” he said.

Anderson, 58, lives in Mattituck and works as a facilities manager at Riverhead’s Suffolk County National Bank. He has served three terms, the first one beginning in 2001, took a year off and began his third term in 2008. His wife runs a business in Mattituck, and he has two grown sons who both went through the Mattituck-Cutchogue school system.

Anderson said he’s running again to see ongoing work with the board completed.

“I think there is more work to be done,” he said. “We have a lot of challenges coming up with governor Cuomo’s two percent tax cap, so I don’t want to leave now with a job that is unfinished.”

Jerry Diffley, Mattituck

Current board president Jerry Diffley is seeking his fifth term on the Mattituck-Cutchogue School Board.

Diffley, 51, has also been a member of theas an emergency medical care technician for 28 years. He has three sons, two of whom graduated from Mattituck High School and a third son in eighth grade in the district.

“People come to the district for a reason — for our educational programs,” Diffley said. “But I agree with some of the sentiments made that we can do better.”

Diffley’s background is in science education, and he has a masters degree in business and health administration. He’s been in healthcare most of his career and currently works as the corporate director for Quest Diagnostics.

“The strength that I bring to this board is the leadership and management part,” he said.

Facing decreasing enrollment, Diffley said he would like to see the board “put as much energy into the decreasing enrollment as we put into the increased enrollment.” He said he would also like to see a consolidation of services internally and with neighboring school districts and a continued investment in technologies such as online tools like Parent Porthole.

“That is key to keeping to keeping track of what your kids are doing in school,” he said.

Check out these video pitches from Diffley and Anderson — and don’t forget to vote on Tuesday.